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Breakdown
The Public Theater 16-17 Season
HAMLET
by William Shakespeare
Dir: Patricia McGregor
Mobile Shakespeare Unit; $593/week
1st: 8/1/16. Tour: 8/25 – 9/17. Perfs: (Public Theater): 9/19-10/9
MOBILE SHAKESPEARE INITIATIVE is focused on bringing Shakespeare to non-traditional venues such as prisons, homeless shelters, centers for disadvantaged youth around the tri-state area. Actors travel by company van & participate in set-up & striking of small scenic elements, props, costumes. The company will present approximately 6 perfs/wk during the tour. The final 3 weeks will be played at The Public Theater with 7 perfs/wk, and will be open to the general public.
Seeking diverse group of collaborative, language-oriented actors who enjoy working in a physical style. All roles will double with multiple characters
Singing and/or instrumental skills a plus for all roles. Experience with percussion; i.e. hand drums or djembe a plus.
HAMLET: CAST
SEEKING
HORATIO/AS CAST: Any gender. 20s–30s. Any ethnicity. Hamlet’s best friend & confidant. In society that is rotten to the core, Horatio remains steadfastly incorruptible. Loyal, honest, even when truth is hard to hear. Not a pushover in the least. Trustworthy, steadfast. Possesses physical toughness and fierceness of someone whose impulse is to take action when faced with a difficult situation. RAP SKILLS A PLUS. Will double with other roles
GERTRUDE/AS CAST: Female. 40s – 50s. Any ethnicity. Hamlet’s mother. Graceful, sophisticated, high status. In world where a woman’s position is tied to her husband’s, she has grown accustomed to safety & security that accompany life of privilege. Although is able to keep her hands clean of any direct involvement in corruption, she has made a choice to adopt a state of willful ignorance of the unpleasant means that have been employed to maintain her comfortable status quo. Will double with other role
OPHELIA/OSRIC/AS CAST: Female, 20s – 30s. Any ethnicity. OPHELIA: Polonius’ daughter. In love with Hamlet. Artistic, soulful. Sensitive. A big heart. Deeply affected by issues going on in the world around her; struggles to respond, as she’s accustomed to having her opinions drowned out by the louder voices in the room. Fearful of disappointing those around her. Carefully toeing the party line as she struggles to figure out which warring voices that command her loyalty speaks the truth. A role for a strong ACTOR/SINGER. Double with other roles including, but not limited to, OSRIC: Pretentious; full of himself. Rambles without thinking about whether he makes sense. More style than substance.
CLAUDIUS/GHOST/AS CAST: Male. 40s–50s. Any ethnicity. CLAUDIUS: Hamlet’s uncle and now stepfather, newly made king after his brother’s death. Sexy, seductive, charismatic. His natural place is at top of the pecking order. Savvy, confident businessman, with focus & charm of a successful CEO. Natural leader. Able to harness his intelligence to mastermind complex plans & gain the trust of those around him. Double with other roles, including but not limited to GHOST: Hamlet’s deceased father. In life was a great leader, strong & determined, yet compassionate, with will to serve rather than be served. Tormented by injustice of his murder, has returned from beyond the grave to urge his son to investigate the mystery surrounding his untimely death and to take action against those responsible.
POLONIUS/GRAVEDIGGER/AS CAST: Male. 40s–50s. Any ethnicity. POLONIUS: Not one of the elite himself, but pleased to inhabit that world and embrace with the power and privilege that comes with it. Has overinflated sense of his own importance; loves to make others aware of perceived high status. Places a lot of importance on ceremony, appearances, & reputation. Enamored of his own opinions; never misses an opportunity to wax poetic and to give advice. Double with other roles, including but not limited to GRAVEDIGGER: Working class man whose sense of humor makes his morbid occupation enjoyable. Role for an actor possessing great wit and comic instincts.
LAERTES/GUILDENSTERN/AS CAST: Male. 20s–30s. Any ethnicity. LAERTES: Polonius’ son; Hamlet’s rival. Believes strongly in societal structures that are in place & finding his place as leader within that world. Devoted to idea of living in a great society—the one that already exists—and not interested in challenging the status quo. Double with other roles including but not limited to GUILDENSTERN: peer of Hamlet’s along with Rosencrantz. Charming, polite, gracious. Obedient. Perhaps more interested in the social benefits that come with having a powerful friend than in actually exercising true friendship. RAP SKILLS A PLUS.
ROSENCRANTZ/MARCELLUS/AS CAST: Any gender. 30s. Any ethnicity. ROSENCRANTZ: Peer of Hamlet’s; a buddy but not a true friend. Charming, polite, gracious. Obedient. Neither at top or bottom of the social order. Comfortable serving Claudius & Gertrude behind Hamlet’s back. Double with other roles including but not limited to MARCELLUS: guard who first sees the Ghost and alerts Hamlet to its existence; is present when the Ghost first speaks to Hamlet. Loyal & observant. Has Hamlet’s best interests at heart. RAP SKILLS A PLUS.
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WHAT DID YOU EXPECT
Writer/Dir: Richard Nelson
1st reh: 8/16/16. Perfs: 9/10/16 - 10/2/16 (Possible ext to: 10/9/16)
$593/week
All roles cast.
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PLENTY
By David Hare
Dir: David Leveaux
1st reh: 8/29/16. Perf: 10/4/16 - 11/6/16 (Possible ext to: 12/1/16)
$803/week
First performed at Britain’s National Theater in 1978, followed by US premiere at The Public Theater in 1982. Susan Traherne is a former undercover special operations courier in German-occupied France during World War II. After the war, struggles to find purpose and meaning in her now mundane life, becoming increasingly disillusioned and self-destructive as the promises and dreams of post-war life are unrealized. Play takes between1943-1962.
Seeking
CODENAME LAZAR. 30s-40s. Male. British. Ruggedly handsome. From privileged background. Undercover special operations agent. Man with equal parts of attractiveness, complexity and mystery who shares a strange intimacy forged in wartime with Susan. Arbitrarily thrown together by circumstances, the danger of their lives cements a palpable connection between them and causes them to search, but not to find, the same again in their post war lives. Not with each other and perhaps not with anyone else. Carries a sense of romantic sadness. A sense of a something that “ought to have been” that can’t be reclaimed.
MR. AUNG. 30s - 40s. Male. Asian. First Secretary of Burmese embassy posted in the UK. Confident. Assertive. Groomed. Cultural tourist finding his way in his new home. Strong access to Asian accents a must.
JOHN BEGLEY. 22. Male. British. Young man with impeccable manners. Sir Andrew Charleson’s secretary at the Foreign Office.
A FRENCHMAN. 30s. Male. Struggling to survive in Nazi-occupied France, stealthily tries to intercept Susan’s delivery of guns and ammunition. A heated argument ensues, but when Lazar pulls a gun on him he is forced to leave empty-handed. PLEASE NOTE: MUST speak French as a native and English with a French accent.
Roles CAST: SUSAN TRAHERNE, RAYMOND BROCK, ALICE PARK, SIR LEONARD DARWIN, MICK, LOUISE, MME. AUNG, DORCAS FREY, SIR ANDREW CHARLESON, ANOTHER FRENCHMAN
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SWEAT
by Lynn Nottage
Dir: Kate Whoriskey
1st reh: 9/20/16. Perfs: 10/18 - 11/20 (Possible ext to: 12/18)
$593/wk
All roles cast.
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PARTY PEOPLE
by Universes (Mildred Ruiz-Sapp, Steven Sapp, William Ruiz a.k.a NINJA)
Dir: Liesl Tommy
1st reh: 9/27/16. Perfs: 11/1 - 12/4. (Possible ext to: 12/18)
$803/wk
PARTY PEOPLE imagines present-day reunion of the Black Panthers and the Young Lords at an art opening curated by two young counter-culturalists; but the curators themselves have complex relationships with the Party members, who fought injustice and provided free food and medical care for their communities—often at the expense of the people who loved them most. Old wounds and generational divides collide in this multi-media theatrical event about the price of being a revolutionary, and what it means for those who come after.
PLEASE NOTE: PARTY PEOPLE is a play with music. ALL characters MUST ACT, SING AND DANCE. Theatrical vocabulary of the story telling is VERY physical and is important all actors be up for, excited about and physically prepared for a rehearsal process and performance experience that calls upon all to bring multiple skillsets to the table.
SEEKING:
BLUE. African-American Male, 40s-50s. Former Black Panther member deeply involved on the front lines of the movement. With all the rawness and intensity of a war veteran who has seen combat. Incarcerated for many years for involvement in shoot-out that left a police officer dead; ultimately released after being found not guilty. Carries weight of the violence he’s witnessed and been part of; struggles with his complicated feelings about what the Party accomplished and the work that still remains. Note: Role for a physically active actor.
AMIRA. African-American Female, 40s- 50s. Blue’s wife. Proud. Woman with enormous gravitas and emotional power and rawness. Former Black Panther member deeply involved on front lines of the movement. Protective of her husband and also of their membership in the Party. Believes the work, which has made her who she is, made a difference, but with an obvious cost. Working to make peace with some of the more difficult moments in the Party’s and her history.
SOLIAS. African-American Male, 40s-50s. Edgey. Something broken about his spirit. Rough around the edges. In order to reduce his own sentence for stealing a car, is used by FBI to infiltrate the Black Panther Party. Has spent years since wracked with guilt and as an outsider in his own community. Man who carries and wears his pain.
CLARA. Latina. Mid to Late 20s. Native or fluent Spanish speaker. Black woman. Daughter of members of the Young Lords. Determined, resolute, opinionated. Resents the Party for loss of her parents. Wants nothing to do with its memory or a continued revolution. Believes her life will change by becoming part of the 1%, rather than fighting against it. Determined to make a better life for herself. STRONG SINGER.
MARCUS/FBI AGENT. White. 40s-50s. As MARCUS: Charismatic. Bit wild. Urban creature who is stuck in time.Former activist from Chicago affiliated with Fred Hampton’s Rainbow Coalition. Devoted ally who still hasn’t left the movement, although the movement has passed. Emotional. Very rough around the edges. Doubles with FBI AGENT: Groomed. Professional. Unapologetic about his agenda & about teaching informants how to infiltrate the Party. Believes he is one of the good guys, and the FBI is on the right side of history. Singer comfortable with Blues and Gospel musical genres.
Roles CAST: MALIK, TITO, MARUCA, OMAR, JIMMY 'PRIMO', HELITA, DONNA/FINA
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WOMEN OF A CERTAIN AGE
Writer/Dir: Richard Nelson
1st reh: 10/11/16. Perfs: 11/4 - 11/27 (Possible ext to: 12/18)
$593/week
All roles cast.
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TINY BEAUTIFUL THINGS
Based on book by Cheryl Strayed
Adapted for stage by Nia Vardalos
Dir: Thomas Kail
1st reh: 10/25/16. Perfs: 11/15 - 12/18. (Possible ext to: 3/12/17)
$593/week
Sugar is an online advice columnist who thousands of people have turned to for words of wisdom, honesty and hope. As anonymous readers come with their deepest & most personal problems, Sugar finds a way to weave her own life experiences with theirs, creating a beloved newspaper column about monstrous beauty, endless dark & glimmering light at the heart of being human.
2 READERS: Late 20s-40. Any gender. Any ethnicity. To play a line of roles crossing both age and gender lines. Seeking flexible actors capable of creating, with clarity and distinction, the men and women who write letters to Sugar seeking advice.
SUGAR: CAST
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SAINT JOAN
by David Byrne
Dir: Alex Timbers
Casting by Carrie Gardner
1st reh: 1/10/17. Perfs: 2/14-3/19/17 (Possible ext to: 4/16/17)
$803/week
ALL ROLES HAVE BEEN CAST. Actors may be considered for possible replacement if needed.
Once upon a time, there was a girl who talked to God. She built a nation & they burned her for it. SAINT JOAN is a thrilling & provocative new show about challenging the powerful & believing in the impossible that explores the electrifying, meteoric rise of Joan of Arc through the lens of a one-of-a-kind rock musical concert.
JOAN: CAST. 20s. Simple country girl who has heard the voice of God who has given her a mission to make Charles the King of a united France. Her refusal to the authority of the church results in her death. Great actress with a fantastic rock belt.
BAUDRICOURT: CAST. Mid 30s-Early 40s. Butch, masculine, grizzled. Captain of the army in support of Joan. Soldier who has been around and seen some things. The idea of someone like him being transformed by a girl is unexpected. Must be a great rock singer & strong mover.
BISHOP CAUCHON: CAST. 40s-50s. Antagonist with a conscious. Bright, mysterious. Represents the church. The mastermind behind plan to bring down Joan but should not be an obvious villain. Must be great rock singer & strong mover.
WARWICK: CAST. 40s. In league with Bishop Cauchon. English captain. Sadistic & straight-up evil. Must be great rock tenor & strong mover.
DAUPHIN: CAST. 20s. Boy-king in over his head. Joan's peer. You should like him and root for him. Contemplative, introspective, bright, thoughtful and earnest. Must be great rock singer & strong mover.
LA TREMOUILLE: CAST. Late 20s-40s. Classic snakey character. Creep. The Iago of the story. Must be great rock singer & strong mover.
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GENTLY DOWN THE STREAM
by Martin Sherman
Dir: Sean Mathias
1st reh: 2/14/17. Perfs: 3/14 - 4/16/17 (Possible ext to: 6/4)
$593/week
Beau, a pianist expat living in London, meets Rufus, an eccentric young lawyer, at the dawn of the internet dating revolution. After life spent recovering from disappointment & hurt of loving men in world that refused to allow it, Beau is determined to keep his expectations low with Rufus. But Rufus comes from a new generation of gay men who believe happiness is as much their right as anyone else’s. What Beau assumed would be just another fling grows into one of the most surprising & defining relationships of his life.
RUFUS: Male, 28-41. British. Old soul. Open, mutable. Takes in world around him & seeks meaning & belonging. Aware of the generation ahead of his fight for equal rights, but not quite connected to it. Searching for fulfillment and defined value system, but living a bit betwixt and between.
HARRY: Male, 28-34. American. Young, edgy. Used to idea of acceptance & equal rights as a given in his life. Originally an avant garde performance artist. Upon falling in love with Rufus, turns to more traditional ideas of marriage & fatherhood.
BEAU: CAST
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